Electrical connector and mounting means for ceramic glow igniters

ABSTRACT

A spring clip connector and mounting device for a ceramic glow igniter including a pair of spaced, upstanding, resilient, conductive legs engaging the opposite arcuate surfaces of adjacent and connected semicylindrical end portions of a ceramic loop, one leg being arcuate and the other straight so that they may receive between them and securely support and electrically connect an igniter in which the connected semicylindrical end portions thereof are misaligned.

Waited States Patent 1191 Spetlt ct a1.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND MOUNTING MEANS FOR CERAMIC GLOW IGNITERSinventors: Hugo H. Speth, St. Louis, Mo.

Assignee: Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, Mo.

Filed: Sept. 20, 1971 App1.No.: 181,894

us. c1 339/65, 339/151 A, 339/184 R, a, 339/258 r Int. Cl ..11101r13/211,110 13/64 Field of Search 339/50, 52, 65, 150,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1915 Vanderhoof 339/258 F 1451Aug. 14, 1973 2,253,830 8/1941 Winterhalter 339/151 C PrimaryExaminer-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. StaabAttorney-Charles E. Markham 57 ABSTRACT A spring clip connector andmounting device for a ceramic glow igniter including a pair of spaced,upstanding, resilient, conductive legs engaging the opposite arcuatesurfaces of adjacent and connected semicylindrical end portions of aceramic loop, one leg being arcuate and the other straight so that theymay receive between them and securely support :and electrically connectan igniter in which the connected semicylindrical end portions thereofare misaligned.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 14, 1973 3,753,210

. /G-B 'T [/VVENTOB H 60 H' JPETH ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND MOUNTINGMEANS FOR CERAMIC GLOW IGNITERS This invention relates to spring clipmeans for mounting and electrically connecting a ceramic glow igniter tocircuit leads, and particularly to such means which is adaptable tosecurely mount and electrically connect those igniters in which theshape of the end portion to be connected varies considerably.

There are presently at least two commercially available ceramic glowigniters, both of which essentially comprise a loop of conductiveceramic material having adjacent semicylindrical end portions connectedby a non-conductive ceramic adhesive to form a generally cylindrical endportion. It has been found that due to the method of manufacturing of atleast one of these igniters some misalignment or offset of thesemicylindrical end portions frequently occurs. These manufacturingvariations while in no way affecting the functioning of the igniternevertheless present a problem of conveniently mounting and electricallyconnecting the igniter by conventional spring clip means.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a simple, springclip-type, electrical connector and mounting means which will securelymount and electrically connect a ceramic igniter of this kind, whetherthe end thereof to be connected closely conforms to cylindrical shape orvaries substantially therefrom due to misalignment of thesemicylindrical ends.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof a preferred form of the invention when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. I is a top plan view of a mounting device constructed in accordancewith the present invention with a ceramic glow igniter mounted therein;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mounting device and ignitershown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, with the connected end portions of theigniter shown in cross-section;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the mounting device shown alone;and

FIG. 5 is aside elevational view of the mounting device shown alone.

Referring to the various figures of the drawing in more detail, themounting device generally indicated at comprises a rigid base 12 ofelectrical insulating material having a hole 13 therein for attachingthe base to support means by a bolt or screw. Attached to the base 12 isa pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding legs 14 and 16. Legs 14 and 16are formed of strips of resilient, electrically conductive meta, andeach includes a perforated horizontally formed lower portion 18 lying onthe upper surface of base 12. Overlying leg portions 18 is a pair ofconductive circuit lead connector elements 20 which together withunderlying leg portions 18 are rigidly connected to the base 12 byrivets 22. The elements 20 have upwardly formed free end portions 24which are perforated to receive the ends of circuit leads.

Upstanding' leg 16 has an intermediate straight portion 26 and leg 14has an intermediate coextending arcuate portion 28 with the concavesurface thereof fac ing leg portion 26. The upper end portions 29 oflegs l4 and 16 are flared outwardly to facilitate entry therebetween ofthe end of an igniter.

A ceramic glow igniter, generally indicated by nu meral 30 compriseselongated, coextending, right and left-hand half portions 32 and 341 ofa conductive ceramic material such as silicon carbide. Each of the halfportions comprises an outer flat portion 36 having deep paralleltransverse slots 38 entering alternately from opposite sides thereof toform a long conductor of relatively high resistance, due to itscross-sectional area, and an inner semicylindrical portion 40 ofrelatively low resistance, the flat sides of which face each other.

The half portions 32 and 34 are joined at their outer ends by a shortsection 42 of similar conductive material, thereby to form a conductiveloop with adjacent semicylindrical end portions. The semicylindrical endportions 40 are connected by a non-conductive ceramic cementing material44, see FIG. 3. A flat rectangular strip 46 is inserted and cemented inposition between portions 40 to form a polarizing fin. The strip 46 isadapted to enter a slot 48 in the base member 12 to limit rotational andaxial movement of the igniter in the mounting device. 11

The process of manufacturing the above-described igniter 30 includes theheating thereof to temperatures in the order of 4,000" Fahrenheit toeffect, inter alia, the mechanical and electrical connection of halfportions 32 and 34 at their outer ends through section 42. During thisstep in the manufacturing process, it is quite difficult to maintain theprecise alignment of the inner ends 40 required to result in an innerend portion closely conforming to a cylinder.

When mounting a ceramic glow igniter of the kind illustrated in thedevice 10, the inner generally cylindrical end thereof is presseddownward between the resilient legs 14 and 16. Whether thesemicylindrical igniter portions 40 are in precise alignment or out ofalignment, as indicated in FIG. 3, the arcuate surface of the oneigniter portion 40 will slide upon the straight surface 26 of leg 16until the arcuate surface of the other portion 40 snaps into the arcuateportion 28 of leg 14. The arcuate portion 28 of leg 14 preferably has aradius slightly less than that of the igniter end portion 40. Thedeflection of the resilient legs and the lateral stress which they exertwill not vary substantially therefore, whether the portions 40 arealigned to form a cylinder or are to some considerable degree out ofalignment, as indicated in FIG. 3.

Igniters with end shapes which are cylindrical or which deviate invarious degrees from cylindrical will therefore be uniformly retained inthe arcuate leg portion 28 by a sufficient predetermined force, and theopposite end portions 40 of the igniters will be electrically connectedto their respective lead connector elements 20 through predeterminedareas of contact and pressure. The vertically arranged rectangular strip46 enters the slot 48 in the base member 12 when the igniter is in thecorrect position as it is pressed downward into position between legs 14and 16. The strip 46 when entered in slot 48 limits axial movement ofthe igniter as well as rotational movement. By forming the arcuateportion 28 of resilient leg 14 with a slightly smaller radius than thatof the semicylindrical igniter end portions 40, uniform contact areasare assured for retaining and electrically connecting the igniter.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting and electrically connecting a ceramic glowigniter having adjacent semicylindrical end portions cemented togetherto form a generally cylindrical igniter end portion and having apolarizing fin positioned between the semicylindrical portions andextending laterally from both sides thereof, the device comprising abase member of electrical insulating material, a pair of resilientelectrically conductive legs connected at one end to said base memberand extending generally perpendicular therefrom in spaced relationshipto the free ends, said legs being spaced so as to be flexed apredetermined amount when the cylindrical end portion of an igniter ispressed between them, thereby to provide a predetermined retention forceand electrical contact pressure, one of said legs having an intermediatestraight portion adapted to be slidably engaged by one semicylindricalhalf of the igniter end portion, the other leg having an arcuatelyformed portion coextending with and having its concave surface facingsaid straight leg portion and being adapted to receive the othersemicylindrical half of the igniter end portion, and said base memberhaving a perforation therein between said legs adapted to receive thepolarizing fin, thereby to limit rotational and axial movement of theigniter in the device.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 in which the radius of said arcuatelyformed portion of said other leg is slightly less than the radius of thesemicylindrical igniter end portion of an igniter it is to receive.

1. A device for supporting and electrically connecting a ceramic glowigniter having adjacent semicylindrical end portions cemented togetherto form a generally cylindrical igniter end portion and having apolarizing fin positioned between the semicylindrical portions andextending laterally from both sides thereof, the device comprising abaSe member of electrical insulating material, a pair of resilientelectrically conductive legs connected at one end to said base memberand extending generally perpendicular therefrom in spaced relationshipto the free ends, said legs being spaced so as to be flexed apredetermined amount when the cylindrical end portion of an igniter ispressed between them, thereby to provide a predetermined retention forceand electrical contact pressure, one of said legs having an intermediatestraight portion adapted to be slidably engaged by one semicylindricalhalf of the igniter end portion, the other leg having an arcuatelyformed portion coextending with and having its concave surface facingsaid straight leg portion and being adapted to receive the othersemicylindrical half of the igniter end portion, and said base memberhaving a perforation therein between said legs adapted to receive thepolarizing fin, thereby to limit rotational and axial movement of theigniter in the device.
 2. The device claimed in claim 1 in which theradius of said arcuately formed portion of said other leg is slightlyless than the radius of the semicylindrical igniter end portion of anigniter it is to receive.